d.c. with a recap of the state of the union address, we'll be talking with tim pawlenty, debbie wasserman schultz, chris van hollen and rob portman as well. can't wait to see you tomorrow. now "the newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. threat to the united states, north korea sending shock waves around the world this morning, testing the underground nuclear bomb half as pourlful werful as hiroshima. the united nations is calling emergency meetings. michael ward, and kenneth williams. >> two men charged in the death of hadiya pendleton. the police saying confusion and chaos led to the shooting. >> michael ward has confessed and indicated that hadiya was not the intended target.

in fact, the offenders had it all wrong. >> reporter: we're on the ground in chicago this morning. also, gun lover, loud mouth rocker and now state of the union attendee. >> barack obama becomes the president in november again, i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> reporter: remember that? nra board member ted nugent tonight sitting just feet away from victims of gun violence. >> these are all legal guns and i'm going to see they remain legal because they're all good. and the cruise from hell. >> it's a big mess. there's no power, there's no toilets, there's no food. it's like a bunch of savages. >> reporter: a carnival cruise anything but for thousands of people stranded in the middle of the gulf of mexico this morning. "newsroom" starts now.

good morning, thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. it felt like an earthquake but this morning the truth is even more jolting. overnight north korea once again defied the world and detonated a nuclear bomb today, in rare solidarity world leaders are condemning that test and at this minute diplomats from the world's most powerful nations are meeting behind closed doors at the united nations. cnn's anna koren is in seoul, south korea. this test comes hours ahead of president obama's state of the union. >> reporter: it's very interesting indeed, carol, some would say kim jong-un, north korea's leader timed it to coincide with president barack obama's state of the union address. he wanted to get america's attention and he has done that. at the end of the day, north korea is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal to become a nuclear state. so that it can have a nuclear deterrent, if you like to what it considers its sworn enemy,

the united states. now it claims that it tested an atomic bomb that was more powerful, smaller and lighter than anything they have tested before and this indicates that perhaps they're on their way to developing a miniaturized nuclear warhead on a missile that, is concerning particularly to the united states because they tested that rocket back in december, the rocket that can travel 10,000 kilometers, that is north korea to mainland usa, so we know for a fact that kim jong-un wants a deterrent against the usa and wants to consider to be a force to be reckoned with. >> this is north korea's third nuclear test under kim jong-un, 29 years old. he's even defined his own ally, probably the only one north korea has, that would be china. how significant is this? >> reporter: this is significant, you have to think

things have certainly changed, the relationship has shifted. up until now china has been a staunch supporter of north korea. it acts as a buffer but at the end of the day have hedgemony. by china backing the u.n. sanctions, that is a sign that really upset the north koreans, so i had to say this is a game changer. >> anna koren live from south korea this morning. pope benedict xvi had a pace-maker adjusted three months ago but the procedure had nothing whatsoever to do with his resignation. joining me is our senior vatican analyst john allen. good morning, john. >> reporter: carol, good to be with us. >> so the replacement of the pope's pacemaker had nothing to do with his resignation?

kind of hard to believe. >> reporter: nothing may be overselling it. there was no indication the pope was having eminent heart problems but obviously he himself had suggested that his age and diminishing strength and concerns about his long-term health were in the mix year, and his heart problems undoubtedly part of that. friends who worked with then cardinal joseph ratzinger in the vatican knew that but prior to that no one knew. popes don't face the same pressure to reveal medical records ads presidents or presidential candidates and i would suggest that today's revelation may well add some pressure that some cardinals are already feeling to be more concerned about potential health problems of men that may be

considering to succeed benedict xvi. >> john allen reporting live from the vatican. today in chicago two gang members are due in court charged with the murder that has become a keystone in the national debate over gun violence. they're accused of shooting 15-year-old honor student hadiya pendleton days after she performed at a lunch in washington during inauguration week. she died a mile from her chicago home. >> michael ward has confessed and indicated that has ddiya wa not the intended target. in fact the offenders had it all wrong. they thought the group they shot into included members of a rival gang. instead it was a group of upstanding, determined kids, like hadiya, were repulsed by the gang lifetime. >> cnn's ted rowlands is in chicago and chicago's police superintendent says this guy ward, the accused shooter,

shouldn't have even been free. >> reporter: one year ago in january of 2012 michael ward was picked up on a weapons charge and the people in chicago and some people across the state are trying to change the laws in illinois to make the sentencing guidelines higher. ward was given two years' probation and let go immediately. they want a mandatory, minimum mandatory sentence of at least a year. they say if they would have the laws in place that need to be in place to give chicago's law some teeth, then michael ward would not have been on the streets and hadiya pendleton would still be alive. >> ted rowlands reporting live from chicago this morning. hadiya pendleton's mother will be sitting beside mrs. obama at the state of the union. yes, gun violence will be part of the president's speech tonight, bipartisanship, not so much. "the washington post" political tar soon says it all. here it is, you can see the president addressing members of congress "my fellow combatants."

in addition, ted nugent will be a guest of republican congressman steve stockman. nugent not exactly a guy who loves president obama. >> would you leave us the hell alone? these are all legal guns and i'm going to see that they remain legal, because they're all good. if barack obama becomes the president in november again i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> oh, what a night is on tap. brianna keilar is at the white house this morning with news on something the president will predict tonight. good morning, brianna. >> reporter: good morning, carol. it's right now what is the president going to say. we've just learned what his big foreign policy announcement is going to be, jake tapper just broke that the president will announce on afghanistan that u.s. troops will be reduced by

half by february of 2014, the number of u.s. troops in afghanistan will go down to 34,000, that's specificity we didn't have before and we expect him to detail tonight. carol, by and large the president will be focusing a lot on domestic priorities, specifically the economy. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> reporter: how times have changed. when he addressed congress one year ago, president obama faced sagging poll numbers and a tough road to re-election. the result? a state of the union address that contained few new proposals and largely fell flat, not likely this year. >> his party gained seats in both the senate and the house. the american people broadly speaking are with him and so he can deliver a speech without the kinds of political constraints that he faced just 12 months ago. >> reporter: white house officials tell cnn that tonight's address will book end the president's inaugural speech last month, when he laid out

aggressive themes on issues of gun control and immigration, and mentioned some unexpected subjects. >> some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms. our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. >> reporter: while president obama is expected to offer more specifics on some of these issues, white house officials say the overall focus of tonight's speech will be the economy, and adding jobs for the middle class. that topic got surprisingly little attention in the inaugural address. >> he hasn't given us an idea whether there is a significant agenda that he wants to pursue, designed to try to accelerate economic growth and economic recovery. that's been the big missing piece through the past year and we'll see whether it's filled in, in the state of the union. >> reporter: to that end,

president obama will frame much of his agenda under the umbrella of economic growth as he talks about tax reform and government spending and his proposals on education, climate change and immigration. but while the wind is at his back, observers say president obama can't appear too bull-headed at the start of his second term. carol, also some news on what the president will say when it comes to climate change or perhaps i should say what he will not say tonight. lot of environmentalists were hoping he would say he's going to pursue new regulations on existing power plants because they are big producers of carbon emissions, big polluters. it turns out according to a senior administration official who told me that he will not do that and carol, i can tell you that will be disappointing for a number of environmentalists. >> brianna keilar reporting live from the white house. we'll have complete coverage on cnn starting at 7:00 p.m.

eastern. a carnival cruise ship that had been stuck at sea is on its way to mobile, alabama. carnival "triumph" is being towed there instead of mexico because of strong currents in the gulf. it's been anything but a dream vacation. passengers say the smell on board is so bad it's making some people sick. some family members say sewage running down the walls and the floors, sitting on the deck just to keep cool and they're scrambling for food. >> as far as food they fed, other carnival cruise ships are bringing food to them but they're not rationalizing the food out properly and so it's kind of a first come first serve and the first person in line, can he eat all the food that he wants to and then the last person in line well they get whatever is left over. and my wife she only got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bottle of water within like a day and a half.

>> they'll be singing "sweet home alabama" today. the ship ran into problems after an engine fire sunday. more than 4,200 people are on board that ship. life is slowly returning to normal in north dakota and minnesota after a blizzard jumped nearly a foot of snow. parts of two interstates are open after shutting down this weekend. in the meantime parts of the southeast are still getting drenched. meteorologist indra petersons has a look at where people will have to built an ark. >> the jet stream is sagging with the south, going to bring another round of heavy rain. many of the places have seen three to five inches of rain, today we'll see another day of it. the big concern mardi gras, looks like showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop right ahead of the fat tuesday parade, but i'm going to say i'm sure the festivities are going to go on. we'll be right back.

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the week. in bridgport, connecticut, it may take five days until the streets are completely cleared. a texas community will say a final good-bye to former navy s.e.a.l. chris kyle, another veteran faces charges in the murder. a convicted killer walks out as a free man after spending nearly 30 years behind bars. he was found guilty of stabbing a woman 45 times in 1948 but dna has cleared his name. one of the first things on ar ledge's mind as he gets out of prison a free man? better food. >> i wanted to get some cheeseburgers and french fries and banana splits. when i got locked up they didn't have bacon cheese-burkers or three-way calling. >> the texas innocent project

spent several years clearing his name. dna evidence points to another suspect still on the loose. new details report authorities have been tracking a known associate of the ex-cop charged with the murders of three people in california. this person is only identified as j.y. now the manhunt for christopher dorner could be expanded to mexico, where newly released documents indicate he may be heading. casey wian is live at the los angeles police department with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carol. this known associate of christopher dorner sided as you mentioned by the initials j.y. in the u.s. marshal service arrest warrant released yesterday say the marshals have been tracking this associate's moflt movements. family member of j.y. apparently owns residential property in the big bear mountainous area where crews have been looking for dorner for several days now.

near that property his burning pickup truck was found on thursday. also j.y. was spotted in costa mesa, california, on thursday, that's in orange county, very near to where the first murders were committed on sunday of last week. no indication that he has any movement in those killings but it just shows the geographic area that investigators are trying to cover in looking for christopher dorner. as you mentioned, that geographic area expanding into mexico. this arrest document talks about his i.d. being found near the u.s./mexico border, talks about his efforts to steal a boat and telling that boat's owner that he was planning to flee into mexico. that was the information that investigators had on thursday of last week. they now concede though they really do not know where dorner is at this moment, and that's why that manhunt is going to

continue in the mountains of san bernardino later today. carol? >> casey wian reporting live from los angeles this morning. gun loving rocker ted nugent famous or infamous for hurling insults at president obama? he will be attending the state of the union, but should he? it's our talk back question today, facebook.com/carolcnn or tweet me @carolcnn. it's marching to the beat of a different drum. and where beauty meets brains. it's big ideas with smaller footprints. and knowing there's always more in the world to see. it's the all-new lincoln mkz. there's nothing like our grilled lobster and lobster tacos. the bar harbor bake is really worth trying. [ male announcer ] get more during red lobster's lobsterfest.

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yes, you could. go national. go like a pro. now is your chance to talk back on one of the stories of the day. the question for you this morning, should ted nugent attend the state of the union? yes, ted nugent will be hanging out at the president's state of the union tonight, yes that ted nugent the gun-loving obama hater. >> if barack obama becomes the president in november again i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. our president and attorney general, our vice president,

hillary clinton, they're criminals. they're criminals. we are patriots, we are braveheart. we need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in november. >> but nugent told "the new york times" he will be respectful tonight and he'll leave his guns at home or in the car or wherever, they just don't be in his pocket. if you're wondering why nugent got a pass to the state of the union, republican steven stockman invited him, the congressman who threatened to impeach the president over gun control. here's the thing, though. gun control advocates who will also be at the state of the union are thrilled for them, nugent is the posterboy for gun control and if the republicans really want to rebrand their image, is nugent the guy they want to parade around the house of representatives? talk back this morning, should ted nugent attend the state of the union? facebook.com/carolcnn, or tweet me @carol, cnn.

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good morning, thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. stories we're watching right now in "the newsroom" 30 minutes past the hour, the opening bell will to ring on wall street and stocks are poised to open lower as investors look for more corporate earnings reports. this morning, coca-cola and mcgraw-hill reported quarterly earnings that met or slightly topped expectations. the united nations security council is holding an emergency meeting right now on north korea. the north is getting a lot of negative reaction to its nuclear test this morning. the united states, russia, and china, are among several countries condemning the test, which is half as powerful as the bomb dropped on hiroshima. eight days of testimony begins today as the u.s. coast guard opens a hearing into the sinking of the qhms bounty." the 180 foot long sailing ship

sankd osank off north carolina' coast. two members were killed. it was a replica of the 18th century british vessel. passengers stuck on a disabled carnival cruiseship are finally on their way home. second tugboat helped tow the ship to mobile, alabama. the passengers' dream vacation turned into a nightmare when an engine fire triggered aa series of problems. the boat has been floating at sea and things deteriorated on board. john zarrella is in mexico, where the boat was going to be tugged by the jugboats. you have to head to alabama now. >> reporter: we have to wait here, who know what the next twist or turn will be. what happened was the progresso, mexico, was the closestiumph"tr"

while waiting at sea it drifted north. by the time the tugboats got there it was easier to not fight the turned and start towing the ship to mobile, alabama. it is, carnival says, moving under tug tow at about six knots and get there sometime on thursday, probably early thursday, so it made more sense, carnival decided, to go there. as you were saying, carol, the conditions for "the triumph" not good at all. we talked to one passenger on the ship, and she was telling us the crew is doing a good job, they're getting fruit, cereal, hot coffee but most of the people are sleeping outside, they took their mattresses outside to sleep jou side. the rausu wanlg smell in the hallway is terrible as well and the toilets are not working in most parts of the ship. we talked to a man whose wife is

on the cruise ship. here is what he had to say. >> they are able to use restroom facilities, but she said the water pipes on the ship are breaking and that toilets are overflowing and there's feces all over the floor and the horrendous odor that's on the ship. she says that the odor is so bad that people are getting sick and they're throwing up everywhere and stuff. >> reporter: some elevators are working on auxiliary power, folks can take showers although the water is cold, there's no hot water and they have plenty of food on board, a couple other cruise ships pulled up alongside yesterday and transferred more food supplies, carol, over to the carnival "triumph" and it is also being escorted in, we are

told the united states coast guard telling us one of its cutter also stay alongside the "triumph" as it makes this journey back to the port in mobile, alabama. carol? >> i heard that carnival is only reimbursing these people for the cost of the cruise. is that true? >> reporter: they are reimbursing them the cost of the cruise, they have also credited them for anything on board except for what they may have lost in the casino, they're not crediting them for that and they are giving them a cruise equal to whatever the cost was of this cruise, should they decide in the future take another carnival cruise they'll get that and of course they'll get their air fare paid back to whatever city they are going to. >> oh, geez, man, i'd be eager to take another cruise after that experience. john zarrella, thanks so much. >> reporter: sure.

political buzz as your rapid-fire look at the best political topics of the day, three topics, 30 seconds on the clock. playing good democratic strategist, maria cardona and anna navarro, welcome to you both. >> thank you, good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning, the big event almost here, president obama delivers his state of the union address tonight and white house sources tell cnn the president's economic message to republicans can probably be summed up in one phrase, if you don't get it done, i will. question, will the state of the union further divide us? anna? >> i hope not, but i think a lot depends on the tone, on the content of what he says. i think he has had a lot of bravado, a lot of aggressiveness in the last few outings he's had. it would be helpful if he were able to focus on some of the common ground and work on the art of the possible, not continue the antagonism because if it's either my way or the highway, he's going to get a big

no way. >> maria? >> i think that it all depends on who you ask, carol. the fact of the matter is that the majority of the american people are with this president on the majority of the issues that he's going to be talking about tonight. on fiscal issues, the american people agree it should be done in a balanced manner, on immigration, on sensible gun control, on rights for gays and lesbians, all of the issues during the inaugural, tonight will you see more detail and the focus is yes, congress get it done. that's what the american people want so if people think if republicans think that it's divided it's what americans want. >> okay, next question. the republicans are making this big push to redefine themselves, they want to become more inclusive, clineder, gentler and then ted nugent shows up, texas republican congressman steve stockman inviting nugent to tonight's address saying he speaks for americans who "under

how the second amendment protects freedom and stops crime." nugent puts it in his own terms. >> would you leave us the hell alone? these are all legal guns and i'm going to see that they remain legal, because they're all good. if barack obama becomes the president in november again i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> second question, is ted nugent a republican re-branding nightmare, maria? >> ahh, yes. the republicans need to fire whatever marketing firm they hired for this re-branding if they think ted nugent is going to get it done. he represents absolutely the worst of the extremes in this country especially on the right, and that is exactly what the majority i think the majority of sensible republicans think they don't need, so i would say fire that marketing firm, fire ted

nugent and focus on more sensible solutions and more sensible rhetoric. >> anna? >> look, you know, obviously ted nugent is not part of any re-branding or remarketing. he is a u.s. citizen, he is an american citizen who has the right to speak, who has the right to freedom of speech. i may not agree with everything he says but i will fight to the death for his right to say it. what we're looking for in the republican party, what i hope for is a tent big enough from there's room for the ted nugents and also for people who do see some space to close down loopholes, to pass universal background checks on guns. so we need to, you know, we need to listen to all americans and there are an important section of america that believes what ted nugent does. >> nugent is not only a guest at tonight's state of the union, he tells "the new york times" he'll be holding a news conference afterwards and going to take questions. memo to marco rubio and rand paul bring your "a" game.

who would you rather watch after the state of the union? rubio, paul or nugent? anna? >> well, you know, i'll be watching my hometown senator, i will be watching marco rubio, he'll be the one not wearing the cowboy hat or funny facial hair going on, he'll be giving the official republican response. you talk to ted nugent was the republican party's nightmare, no, is he the media's darling, he's a quotable guy. he is entertaining and colorful. >> no doubt about that. maria? >> i actually will be focused on marco rubio. i think he will be giving the serious response to the state of the union but if you're looking purely for entertainment carol, for that train wreck i can't look away type of feeling, then certainly i think ted nugent is the person to watch tonight. >> ladies, thank you for

playing. anna navarro, maria cardona. i'm sure you remember the adele went up to accept the award someone else was on stage h no business being there. who the heck was that guy? a.j. hammer knows.

so if you're weirdly clever enough to crash the grammys and

weirdly clever enough to get up on stage next to adele as she's accepting her grammy for the night and give a little acceptance speech of your own, police don't think that's weirdly clever. they think it's illegal and charge you with a crime which they have. a.j. hammer is in new york to tell us more. >> carol, i was lamenting to a friend the other day the grammys don't seem to have party crashers and political speeches anymore so as scary as it it is, it's also refreshing. lot of people were watching some 25 million people but not many saw what was going on and realized it. take a look. adele getting the grammy for best pop solo, saying hello to people, talking to rihanna, everything is fine and when adele makes her way to the stage a uterranean television host decided to join in on the fun and get on there as well. you can hear him talking over her music as she was taking the stage and then as adele comes into frame the only person who really seems to notice what was

going on or something out of sorts put off by the crasher is j. lo who pressures for the guy to get lost. some people missed it, in real time it looks like a regular glitch that might happen on live tv. the "haley wood reporter" deserves credit for catching the story and following up on it. the crasher has put himself in the story before, he made headlines last spring for kissing will smith as he made his way down a red carpet in moscow so for his efforts, the grammys were not a good place for him to do this. he spent the night in jail, charged with trespassing, perhaps more fitting punishment might have been to let j. lo have at him. she looked angry. he crashed the entire show without a credential or a ticket and actually wound up sitting in the second row just behind justin timberlake and jessica beal and adam levine of maroon 5. it is scary he got on stage and

security was heightened over the weekend as well. >> i was going to say there's a serial killer on the loose and there was supposed to be heightened security at the grammys and some guy gets in without credentials and makes his way on stage. that's scary. >> i'm sure they'll look heavily into this. we have the oscars coming up in a week and a half, and that is a tight security situation, they're not going to let something like this happen, so i think they're going to have to learn from this guy. >> a.j. hammer, thanks. gabby giffords making another emotional plea to congress, we'll show you the new ad released today, ahead of the day's second hearing on gun control. i'm serious, we compare our direct rates side by side

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46 minutes past the hour, time to check our top stories. prisoner is on the loose after stabbing a miami-dade county police officer near dallas, texas. that? er is in stable condition. he and another officer were driving the prisoner to las vegas after flying into dallas. they'd taken him off the plane because he was disrupting the flight, stopped at the store, one officer went inside, when the prisoner overpowered the other officer and stabbed him and then fled. hope you caught all that. tugboats towing a disabled carnival cruiseship that had been adrift in the gulf of mexico to mobile, alabama. "triumph" lost power when there was a fire in the engine room sunday. passengers are safe but there is no food, running water and electricity and passengers say there is sewage everywhere because many bathrooms do not work. fat tuesday could become a soggy day for revelers in new

orleans. mardi gras is wrapping up today and risk of showers for the final parade. thousands of people have been lining up in the streets taking part in this annual celebration. wrestling in the olympics now has an uncertain future. the international olympic committee's executive board will recommend dropping wrestling from the summer games. wrestling joins baseball, karate and several other sports that must ask for inclusion in the 2020 olympic games. the senate's second hearing on gun control expected to begin in just about 15 minutes and former representative gabrielle giffords is wasting no time lobbying for gun control in her new ad. check it out. ♪ >> we have a problem where we shop, where we pray, where our children go to school, but there are solutions we can agree, even gun owners like us.

take it from me, congress must act. let's get this done. >> let's head to washington and joe johns, joe, i know it's an important issue but i feel like there have been hundreds of senate hearings on gun control and we always hear the same things. >> yes, that he's true and we're going to hear a lot of the same things probably today, we'll hear from a woman whose brother, chicago police officer fatally shot in 2010 and another woman whose parents were killed in a massacre and a texas restaurant in 1991, but she has said she favors concealed carry laws anyway. the other witnesses at this hearing are legal experts including harvard law professor lawrence tribe so not very likely that we're going to see the kind of emotional testimony we saw at the last hearing here on capitol hill, carol. >> vice president joe biden has held a series of meetings across the country on gun control.

>> that's right and his major message has been that whatever it is the administration wants, they are not going to be in conflict with the second amendment. this is is something that firea owners a christmas the can you wanty really care when. we sbl is at the saitd sait more than 1 humt victims in the audience so certainly will be sending a message, the white mouse is done gun control will spend a blot of sfis day on public relations offensive, so we are going to see a lot about this, the question is you had confrontational the president will be in his speech. not clear at all he will draw a bright line for rrns in the conditions. >> joe johns reporting live. someone else who will be in attendance at the sait state of the union. should ted fluj ent attend the state of the union.

>> facebook com tweet no, sir your responses fwlx. which is why let's get to work.

talkback question today, should ted fluj enlt attend the state of the union, this from tim, he's an american citizen, he has at much a right to be there as anyone. from wlaurn, no, the man made threats against the president and was interviewed by the secret service he's not a patriot but a loan. this from josh as a democrat, i welcome it, because it makes the gun control issue seem that much

more superintendent. ever important. a representative for the rrns and the fwh la. this from ronald, ted nugent should not be allowed to go. he stated we should march in and cut their heads off that sounds like treason. and this from john, absolutely. mr. nunl ent has a right to his opinion, even if he gets dragged out kicking and cream screaming. keep the krchgsds going. face boork com slash carol cnn or tweet me. fashion week comes to the nba. good buy tank tops, hello sleeves, one team goes for a brand new look, but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. humans. even when we cross our t's and dot our i's,

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. a high school basketball player could be changing the game when it comes to buzz irbeaters, because she sank what might have been the best shot ever. jared greenberg joins us with today's bleacher report. >> carol, she is just a junior in high school, she created a buzz on the internet possibly the most remarkable basketball shot we've seep, the biggest fortuitious bounce in the history of the sport. late third quarter watch closely. olson from three quarter court needing a miracle. olson, it bounces, and then you betcha, rolling in. that is some serious girl power. you think she just got a few if you facebook friends and twitser followers, remarkable shot. the golden state warriors are

making a fashion statement ignore the blinding neon yellow, the warriors want you to focus on the sleeves. the first nba team to stray from traditional tank top, they say the new t-shirt jerseys are also 26% lighter. golden states will debut the sleeves on february 22nd. michael vick isn't going anywhere. the eagles quarterback agreed to restructure his contract to stay in philadelphia. vick will play on a one year deal reports say he could be giving up as much as $9 million. however, should vick stay healthy and post big numbers, he could cash in next off season on the free agent market. newly signed pittsburgh pirates pitcher also lost money. however not by choice. of all of the holidays to startle his kids luriano picked christmas. he broke his nonpitching arm doing an unst. nick like thing. he won't be able to take the

mound for the pirates until may. for more on that and everything else happening in the sports world we invite to you log on to bleacher report.com. so carol, it has to beg the question, if luriano was able to startle his kids on christmas what will he do on april fool's day. >> that's a good question. i just feel sorry for pirates fans. because come on. >> they had enough bad luck. they don't need this to happen. >> exacts leave. jared, thank you. the next hour of cnn newsroom starts now. happening now in the newsroom, an ex-cop accused of serial murder. why do some see christopher dorner as a vigilante hero. >> lapd's relationship with the black community could only be described as a state of war. >> plus north korea detonating a nuclear test that is quote, half the size of hiroshima. the united nations convenes an emergency meeting.

and ted nugent. leaving his guns at home and state of the union bound. the outspoken rocker says he'd be dead or in jail, if president obama was re-elected. >> our president, attorney general, our vice-president hillary clinton, they are criminals. they are criminals. >> the nra board members sitting just feet from victims of gun violence at the state of the union. news roomp starts now. good morning, thank you for being with me. i'm carol costello. we begin in chicago, where two gang members are due in court charged with the murder that has become a key stone in the national debate over gun violence. these two men accused of shooting 15-year-old honors student hadiya pendleton days after she performed in the inaugural parade. she died just a mile from the president's chicago home. police say the accused shooter thought he was opening fire on a

rival gang. cnn's ted rowlands is in chicago to tell us more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carol. michael ward is 18 years old. and kenneth williams is 20 years old. according to ward, who had a partial confession to police, he says that he shot into a group of people, which had hadiya pendleton in it, and he thought that a rival gang member was in that group, and he could not have been more wrong. this was a group of teenagers, that had just finished taking final exams all going to martin luther king prep, a fantastic high school here in chicago. these were all of the kids, that -- these were kids doing everything right, including hadiya pendleton. and this shooter just got it wrong. and it's so unfortunate, because of this mistaken identity, that hadiya's life, obviously, has been cut short. the other part of this heart breaking story is that this young man, michael ward was arrested, this time last year on

a gun violation, and chicago police say if the laws that they want in place were in place, he would still be in jail. and hadiya would still be alive. >> so sad. hadiya's mother will be sitting beside michelle obama during the state of the union. so we expect the president to talk a bit about gun control. we'll hear what he has to say. ted rowlands from chicago. also in the news, it felt like an earthquake, but this morning the truth is even more jolting. overnight, north korea once again defied the world and detonated a nuclear bomb. it is the third underground test by the communist country since 2006, and it's most powerful. the explosion roughly half the strength of the bomb dropped on hiroshima in world war ii. today in a rare solidarity, world leaders are condemning this test. at this minute diplomats from the most powerful nations are meeting behind closed doors at the united nations. it's north korea's first nuclear test under its new leader kim

jong-un. it comes hours ahead of president obama's state of the union speech. analysts believe it's a way for kim jong-un to force the president to acknowledge north korea during tonight's state of the union address. speaking of that we are 11 hours away from the state of the union. the annual speech in which the president gives a progress report on the nation, and outlines his goals for the coming year. one item deals with the longest war in the nation's history. cnn's jake tapper broke the story. the president will announce by this time next year, 34,000 u.s. troops will have returned from afghanistan. this will cut the u.s. forces there in half. cnn national political correspondent jim accost a is in washington with a preview of the speech. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning. a lot of folks in washington will watch these dueling responses to the president's state of the union tonight. an aide to senator marco rubio say the two responses to the

state of the union do not mean the gop is divided going into tomorrow night or tonight i should say. one thing we should note in contrast to what jake is reporting about that drawdown in afghanistan, it seems these two speeches will focus mainly on fiscal matters, but one tea party official tells cnn, these twin speeches we will hear tonight are a victory for then conservative movement. after the state of the union, it's the matchup washington will be watching in one corner florida senator marco rubio dubbed the republican savior on the cover of time magazine. giving the gop response to president obama. >> had someone been aware of these things -- >> reporter: kentucky senator rand paul with reaction from the tea party movement. for both men the dueling speeches are another sign of their sudden star power. just three years ago, rubio was a tea party favorite. but a long shot for the senate, when he sat down with cnn for one of his first interviews. would you be the first tea party

senator if elected? >> i am running as a republican. >> reporter: little more than two years later he had a prime speaking slot at the republican convention. >> i don't want unemployment that high. it has been so under this president. >> reporter: now he's a leading voice on immigration reform. >> the president has to answer why his party controlled the house and the senate for two years, he did absolutely nothing on immigration. >> we are coming to take our government back. >> reporter: paul, who also road the tea party wave into the senate in 2010 says his response to the president will be different. >> i think really there's some things i will emphasize that marco doesn't. >> reporter: a reminder the conservative movement hasn't gone anywhere. >> i don't always agree. the thing is this isn't about he and i. this is about the tea party. >> reporter: the chair of the tea party express hosting paul's speech tells cnn tuesday night we have two tea party senators responding to the president's state of the union address. that is historic but gop strategist ana navarro says make

no mistake rubio is a republican first. >> i think marco rubio is a republican senator. he has always been. i've known him 20 years from republican politics in south florida. at the same time he's very receptive and embraces a lot of concepts the tea party stands for. >> reporter: it's rubio's rise that caught the attention of top democrats who brushed off his upcoming high profile address in this conference call with reporters. >> they don't think there's anything wrong with their policies, they think they just need to package them better. you can't put lipstick on a pig. >> reporter: even though rubio and paul could square off as presidential contenders in 2016 there's no game man ship in the runup to their dueling speeches tonight. the tea party express will be careful not to step on the official republican response, paul's remarks will come a few minutes after rubio is finished. and a top rubio aide says the senator welcomes the tea party's reaction to the president. carol. >> and the third republican will be offering comments tonight in a sort of quickly thrown

together press conference, ted nugent. have you heard? >> reporter: that's right. he has said that he's going to i think dearm himself or demilitarize himself before heading into washington. he's going to be the guest of congressman steve stockman, a republican from texas. and it's going to be very interesting to watch how that plays out. he's planning on holding a news conference after these addresses are wrapped up this evening. we will be watching. >> what a night. jim acosta, thanks. we will have complete coverage on cnn starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern. here's what else is happening this morning. we are learning pope benedict xvi had a pace makary justed three months ago, a vatican spokesman says the routine procedure had nothing to do with the resignation. the pontiff had been thinking about resigning for almost a year because of his age. and there's an interesting image to show you at the vatican had happened after the pope announced his resignation, isn't that erie, a bolt of lightning appears to strike the top of st. peter's basilica.

i don't know what it means. but it was some kind of message from above. looking at live pictures of the senate judiciary committee. it's holding a second hearing on gun control. today's meeting will focus on the constitutional of new gun laws and their possible effectiveness. new details from the retired navy s.e.a.l. who claims to have killed osama bin laden are coming out now. the former s.e.a.l. spoke to journalist phil bronstein who sat down with anderson cooper last night. here's part of the conversation. >> it's possible his name could come out. there was a book, within days his name was on a jihadi web site. all he told the shooter, we have a witness protection program, that we could institute. it's not there yet. but if you want to drive a beer truck in milwaukee, we can arrange that. you just have to cut all ties to the rest of your family. and basically disappear yourself. >> in terms of what he told you about the raid, what surprised you most? >> i think that he -- i think

the fact that it happened so fast, but that he had certain images in his mind. you know, particularly the shooting of bin laden, i mean, he -- there was one moment when he said i had to raise my gun, because i really didn't expect -- he was really tall. >> he was surprised at how tall he was. >> yes. i think that was sort of -- that was sort of my most enlightening moment for me. >> bronstein also says the retired s.e.a.l. has no pension, no health care and no protection for his family. food in short supply, raw sewage running down the walls and a smell so bad, it making people sick, just some of the ways passengers are describing what life has been like on that disabled carnival cruise ship. twins. i didn't see them coming. i have obligations. cute obligations, but obligations. i need to rethink the core of my portfolio. what i really need is sleep. introducing the ishares core, building blocks for the heart of your portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors

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hours to get food. the smells -- i can't each describe them. there's sewage, raw sewage, pretty bad. you walk in the hallway, you have to cover your face. we don't have any masks for breathing. >> the ship is expected to arrive in mobile, alabama on thursday. the senate arms services committee will vote on former senator chuck hagel's nomination. his confirmation to become the next defense secretary is almost certain at least five republicans say they would oppose a filibuster to block hagel's vote from taking place. federal agencies are shooting down rumors of drones being used in their manhunt for the ex-cop accused of killing three people according to the la times. no credible information about their use has been provided to police authorities in california. talking about dorner, he's an accused serial killer on the run. and he's still nowhere to be found, after allegedly killing

three people. yet some are not calling him evil, but a vigilante hero. hooefrs r here's cnn's kyung lah. >> this is not murder. >> reporter: the debate rages on la talk radio. christopher dorner, cop killer or vigilante hero? >> i believe what he's doing really is no different than our ancestors would have done and did do in fighting to get free. >> it's not that people don't have a right to be angry it's what you do about it. >> it's awful. that we have to buy into that as another african-american. >> reporter: online a more bold following with numerous facebook fan pages one even called a christopher dorner appreciation society. where does this come from? la's old wounds, as acknowledged by la's police chief as he reopened the investigation into the firing. >> i hear ghosts of the past of

the los angeles police department. i hear that people think that maybe there is something to what he says. i want to put that to rest. if there's anything to what he says, or anything new in what he brings up in his manifesto, we will deal with it. we will deal with it in a public way. >> reporter: it's a stunning turn away from a dark history. 1965, thery otsz triggered by the traffic stop of a black man by white officers. 1991, the brutal beating of rodney king by four officers caught on videotape. the april acquittal biannual white jury of all of the officers of assault spurred days of violence through los angeles. and in the late '90s, the rampart scandal, where an anti-gang unit was accused of beating and framing suspects from a poor minority neighborhood. the u.s. department of justice came into reform the entire police department. >> lapd's relationship with the black community could only be described as a state of war. >> reporter: civil rights attorney connie rice sued the

lapd representing hundreds of minority officers and helped change the department. today minorities make up more than half of lapd's force. and it has a new mind set. what do you think of the chief reopening the investigation? >> i think it was a tough decision made for the exact right reasons. the openly racist culture of lapd of 30 years ago is gone. >> reporter: rice is the trusted advisor. she says dorner's beef with the lapd may be real. but he remains a suspected killer. >> let's not merge the past with today. and let's separate out the possibility that mr. dorner has raised legitimate issues from the complete ill legitimacy and obscenity of what host done. >> reporter: the reopening of the dorner firing investigation isn't to appease the fugitive but to close wounds and take

another step away from it's painful past. kyung lah, cnn, los angeles. >> talk more about that a little later on in the newsroom. alicia keys declared her love for the new blackberry 10 as its new creative director. but did she get caught cheating with an iphone? [ male announcer ] i've seen incredible things.

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20 minutes past the hour time to check top stories when the president delivers his state of the union tonight republicans will be paying close attention. the gop has launched a web site dedicated to debunking the president's speech in real time. and in addition to florida senator marco rubio giving the official republican response in english and spanish, republicans have launched a spanish language twittery count. to reach out to latino voters. two more deaths blamed on the weekend snowstorm that buried the northeast. bringing the death toll to 11 now. digging out in some places could take the entire week. bridgeport, connecticut for example 30 inches of snow fell it might be friday before secondary roads are cleared. los angeles cardinal may have been stripped of public duties for sex abuse coverup in

the catholic church but he gets to cast a vote for the next pope, according to the la times local catholics are not too happy about that. yesterday cardinal mahoney praised outgoing pope benedict and looks forward to voting for his successor. a big oops or a hack, pop star alicia keys says she wasn't the one who sent out a tweet from an iphone app it is making headlines because alicia keys is now the creative director for the blackberry 10. and she's promised to use only the blackberry and no other smart phone. keys says her twitter account was hacked. we are back in a minute. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what's the point of an epa estimated 42 miles per gallon if the miles aren't interesting?

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last 26 days, the national average for a gallon of regular, it's up more than 30 cents in that time to $3.06 a gallon. why are we seeing this runup. three factors. first off, oil prices have been climbing up more than 3% over the last month. and of course, the price of crude oil is the biggest factor that determines the price of gasoline. second factor here, stronger global demand for oil and gas. opec is up forecasted today thanks to stronger economic recovery. the runup is a more regional issue. refineries are shutting down to switch over to summer blends, that puts a temporary strain on supply. now, we did speak to patrick duhon, he says this is a seasonal trend, it's happening a little earlier than usual. the current prices are a bit more elevated than they could be. also, there is good news, i want to share, carol, duhon does not see the national average topping $4 a gallon and iii agrees. he says national average will keep below where it peaked in

2012. so that's $3.94 a gallon on april 5 and 6. yes. so a little bit of good news. i don't know if we call that good news. >> i like that you are looking at the glass half full, maribel. thank you so much. >> always. >> thank you so much. stick around. our new expanded talkback is next. 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. new griddle-melts to yourime usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. [ anouncer ] ihop's new griddle melts... made fresh and hot! hand crafted just for you. it's like a sexy sandwich.

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. welcome to our new half hour show talkback, three hot topics great guests your comments so let's start the conversation. talkback question number one will the state of the union further divide us, get ready for one bizarre night, ted nugent the gun loving rocker who once called the obama administration vile, evil and america hating will be among special gifts. so will dozens of gun violence survivors. as for the president's speech as politico put it, it will be less

a presidential olive branch than a congressional cattle prod. the president's goal to force republicans into accepting more tax hikes and fewer budget cuts. in short it looks like there will be absolutely no kumbaya moments. will the state of the union further divide us? start with you roland. actually i should introduce you. >> that might have helped. >> let me introduce you. cnn contributor and republican strategist ana navarro, amy kremer, cnn contributor pete dominic and roland martin. roland i ask you again will the state of the union further divide us. >> no. last i checked republicans have the house, democrats have the senate. they have of course the white house as well. so we are already divided. so how can we divide even more so? what, we are going to form a third party after tonight? i don't think so. >> hey, let's talk to the tea party express chairwoman. what do you think, amy?

>> no. i think it's actually historic, that we have two tea party senators responding to president obama's state of the union address tonight. that's a huge victory for us. it shows the strengths of the movement. we have no -- we don't want a third party. the republican party doesn't necessarily represent all of us, and they don't speak for all of us. we still have a voice, we are still here, that's why we asked senator rand paul to give the tea party response to the state of the union. this is a third consecutive year we have done this. it's not like we are doing this for the first time and are trying to step on senator marco rubio's toes, that is not it. i'm proud of him and i'm excited he's giving the official gop address. >> so we are clear what amy is talking about, the tea party will give it's response to the president's state of the union as will the republican party, which seems to be advice divisive at face value. amy says it's not. what do you think? >> i don't think it's divisive either. the more the merrier. i don't think it bothers marco

rube i don't have. i think he has warm relationship with tea party express and with other tea party groups unless amy corrects me. and i think he is a republican. he's been a republican all of his listen. that doesn't mean he doesn't stand for some issues like smaller government and fiscal responsibility that the tea party has made such a focus of their agenda. but certainly the official republican alternative is going to be presented today by senator marco rubio. it's a tough gig. so i'm actually rather happy that senator paul is going to be there in case we need to blame somebody. >> as bobby jindal. >> let me tell you something, to follow a president after a state of the union, to follow any president even the most bum bling one after a state of the union where he's been standing behind the podium in a full congressional well, getting standing ovations for as much as scratching his nose is a tough gig to follow. >> dominic. >> let me get in.

the question was will we be further divided? i have felt like we are not nearly as divided as the media makes people think and politicians want to make people think. it helps them win election says. name the issue, most mrns think wealthy people should be making -- paying more taxes most americans agree almost everybody we should have background checks on guns. you name the issue, we are not that far divided. >> climate control, gun control. come on. >> by the way, let me finish. the republican party does have a problem right now. everybody knows this. ana knows this, they are definitely in danger of becoming the white party. it's simple math. and everybody understands that. >> as the only black guy i can probably agree with you. can you leave me out. but go ahead. >> wait a minute, i am hispanic and let me tell you something, they are not kicking me anywhere outside of that tent. >> not you. >> i think we will grow, pete,

we have had a period since the last election, a needed period on unavoidable wake up call, i have heard introspection all over the republican party. i think you are going to see different efforts. frankly, having marco rubio give this response speech today is one of those steps. there is no magic formula, there is no silver bullet to fix some of the issues the republican party needs to fix with minorities. but one step at a time. we must take, it's not optional. >> i want to ask amy her opinion on this. wait a minute. amy i want to ask your opinion. marco rubio was always backed by the tea party. why is it necessary for rand paul to also deliver an address? i'm not getting that. >> well, like i said, because the republican party doesn't necessarily represent all of us. and not everybody agrees with the republican party. >> but marco rubio is a tea party guy. >> but carol, it doesn't matter. look, there's a difference in

being republican and being conservative, and yes, he's a tea party senator, he's a conservative, but we still have a voice, we have not fallen in line with the republican party. we are not going to fall in line with the republican party. we are here to hold their feet to the fire and get back to those principles and values that we are focused on. and that's what this is about. and this is a third consecutive year we have done this. it's not like we are just doing it. >> roland, the last word on this topic. >> just say the tea party y'all want some more attention, okay? you can't have a tea party guy giving official response and then you have a second tea party guy. so what's next? the coffee party, what about the hot tea party? what about cold tea party? >> it takes two to party. >> can you just do one speech? my goodness. why have four or five tea party speeches? >> we will wrap this up and read some of our responses from our viewers. because frankly, they are much more -- they are still as

passionate but perhaps they use better grammar, i don't know. time for your responses the question will the state of the union further divide us? brian says the more appropriate question is how much further can the divide get before the country completely fall as part. this from amber, no one can ever say that republicans need help alienating the american people. they're doing a great job all by themselves. keep the conversation going. facebook.com/carol cnn. our next topic today, why do some view accused cop killer christopher dorner as a vigilante hero? except it's 2% . go to e-trade and find out how much our advice and guidance costs. spoiler alert: it's low. it's guidance on your terms, not ours. e-trade. less for us. more for you. starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors.

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[ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. ee . talkback question why do some see christopher dorner as a vigilante hero? he's the former lapd officer an accused serial killer yet some say he's a vigilante hero. the debate rages on la talk radio. >> i believe what he's doing really is no different than our ancestors would have done and did do in fighting to get free. >> this is not murder, this is war. >> dorner has titles like we are all chris dorner and the christopher dorner appreciation society are on facebook. the hashtag go dorner go. let's review, christopher dorner is an lapd officer fired from his job accused of killing three people. he taunted the father of one of his alleged victims saying he

should have done a better job of protecting his daughter. talkback why do some see christopher dorner as a vigilante hero? where is this coming from, pete? >> it's coming from an exclusive ignorance for those of us who are born privileged to be born white in america. i mean, if you don't understand with some perspective the history of this country and racial violence often times perpetrated by those in law enforcement or the owner, if you will, if you don't understand that history in this country, if you don't understand specifically the history of the la police department and black folks, then you won't understand this. you should read tim wise, michael dyson, the new jim crow. that's where this is coming from. black folks in america have been targeted by law enforcement. i don't want to generalize at all. but specifically by of course law enforcement for generations in this country, and i think that's a lot of where this is coming from. but you have to understand, history and perspective.

>> but roland, why at this particular time this man is still out there. he's still so dangerous, why bring this up at all at this particular time? >> because he brought it up. look, i just heard geraldo's radio show. he spoke about this. if you hold him as a vigilante hero, you are nuts to me. but with dorner we can't act as if what he had to say shouldn't be discussed. why can't we talk about both? why can't we condemn him? why can't we say he is heinous for what he did, but then say, wait a minute, what is he talking about, as it relates to police officers. when you talk about the ramparts division, when you talk about the history of the lapd, depending where you live, you see them as being terrorists. and so what i'm saying is discussing that does not somehow validate him. does not say a stamp of approval. those people are nuts.

but we shouldn't act as if we can't have multiple conversations at one time. >> but still, a big part of me, amy, says, why now? like let's catch this. he is a vile monster. >> well, i mean, i think it's disgusting. i don't understand it. i think it's wrong that these people feel this way. but also, i think it's being sensationaliz sensationalized. you have hollywood shows, tmz, and the guy is out there watching all of this coverage. i don't understand it. i think it's sick. but if you look at death row inmates, they have fans, too. they have women that want to marry them. i think it's disgusting. i don't think it's helping the situation we are out here talking about it in the media. >> and a part of me, ana, points to the fact that the los angeles police chief reopened the investigation into why dorner was fired. and maybe that's sort of fuelling this kind of thing, too. >> that's the right way to do it. if there's something that needs to be investigated. if there's something that needs

to be aired out, that's the way to do it. the way to do it is not by killing other cops. to me, i just don't understand this. i don't even want to use the word heroic in the same sentence and in the same segment as we are talking about a cop killer. we are not a savage society, where we take our grievances and go shoot each other. that's not what we should aspire to. we have to aspire to a much better society, where we fix the problems, where we address the issues, that need addressed. but we don't do it by killing each other, by leaving children orphaned by leaving wives widowed. we don't do it that way in america. >> i have to say, pete, when i look at the facebook pages, the first thought is why is facebook allowing these pages to exist, these fan sites for this alleged serial murderer? >> first amendment. >> because we don't suppress freedom of speech here. and roland i think said it best. we should condemn this guy. and anybody who does this. but i disagree with ana and a

little with amy, i do believe there are elements of our society that are very savage. the question i would ask everybody to ask, if you don't understand why this happened, why don't you understand where these things come from? i only got into this business, because of september 11 and being here on new york -- in new york city that day and losing friends. i asked why? why did they do that? why is this guy killing cops? it's not right. we are not saying it's okay. >> you don't put up a fan site for osama bin laden. isn't that the same thing? >> of course there was. >> yes, there was. in other parts of the world. what matters is perspective. whose perspective are we looking at this through? white america, black america. do you understand history? do you know the relationship between police and black folks in this country? those are questions that people need to ask and need to learn about, and that's what -- >> carol -- >> asking those questions is very different from understanding, really, pete, i want to allow myself not to understand.

i never want to be in a position where i can understand an assassin. that's just not where i want to take myself. >> wait a minute, carol. >> how bliss full that must be for you. >> we should condemn an individual who is gunning down cops, and we should have the courage to condemn cops who wrongfully gun down american sis sets, when you look at grant in the bay area, when you look at robby toller in bellaire, texas when his career was ended. we should have the willingness to condemn both but not be in a situation, carol, where we say don't talk, don't discuss, don't analyze, because one thing we must be able to do is say, we have to be able to do that to understand. >> amy, i want you to have the last word. >> they need to be punished but not killed. >> i will say, i mean, of course

we should ask the questions. and we should discuss it. but the problem is, when it becomes sensational, and when you are watching it on tmz, and hollywood stars are reaching out to the sky. i mean, it's out of control, and i'm sure the guy is sitting out there watching it somewhere. we have should comden him, it is wrong. he's a cop killer. it's disgusting. >> all right. time to hear from you, our facebook friends, the question why do some see christopher dorner as a vigilante hero, kyle says because of all the crap and corruption in our justice system. sunday says he's no hero he's a psycho path. keep the conversation going. facebook.com/carol cnn or tweet me @carolcnn. our final talkback question of the hour, should ted nugent attend the state of the union? you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national.

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. final talkback question this morning should ted nugent attend the state of the union? ted nugent will be hanging out at the president's state of the union tonight, yes that ted nugent. the gun loving obama hater. >> if barack obama becomes the president in november again, i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. our president and attorney general, our vice-president, hillary clinton, they are criminals. they are criminals. we are patriots, we are

braveheart. we need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in november. >> but nugent told the new york times he'll be respectful tonight and he'll leave his guns at home or in the car or wherever they just won't be in his pocket. if you are wondering why nugent got a pass to the state of the union, steve stockman invited him, he's the congressman who threatened to impeach the president over gun control. here's the thing. gun control advocates who will be at the state of the union are thrilled, for them nugent is the poster boy for gun control. and if the republicans really want to rebrand their image, is nugent the guy they want to parade around the house of representatives? talkback question, should ted nugent attend the state of the union? amy? >> you know, i think he should attend. and you know, he was invited there, he said he will be respectful. and i think we have to leave it at that. i mean, it's his congress that's our house, all of them represent us there in washington.

and so i think he has every right to be there, as long as he's respectful. you don't agree with everybody that is there. none of us do. so i mean, any of us could go, we are not going to agree with everybody that is there, carol. >> pete. >> well, i mean, he will probably be respectful tonight, he might not yell out or fire a gun in the chamber but he has not been respectful in the past. ted nugent, carol, is a brand. just like donald trump is a brand. what they do, they say crazy provocative things so we will talk about them, so they remain relevant and can sell tickets to their in his case concerts or raise their speaking fees, which is why people like newt gingrich ran for president. it's about getting your name out there, staying relevant and saying crazy things. nugent knows nothing about economic policy much less math even politics in general. but he says wild things, and they are entertaining. and everybody talks about him. i don't know how long it's been since he put out an album, he's a talented musician and he's trying to celticets and remain

relevant with the people that agree with the crazy things he says. >> it will be an odd contrast. because there will be survivors of gun violence at the president's state of the union. i think about 100 of them, mrs. peterson, the mother of the girl murdered in chicago will be sitting next to michelle obama, and then you have ted nugent. so ana for gun control advocates, that's a jarring juxtaposition of people. >> i think he's a juxtaposition for many people. but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a right to be there. you know, in this country, this is what happens in america. where a president can give a major speech, then the opposite party can come out and rebut it. and the rest of us can spend hours and days dissecting every word of every speech given tonight, scrutinizing it, attacking it, because it's called freedom of speech. and i have to believe in that for you, for me, and for ted nugent. even if i don't agree with what he says.

and i'm going to tell you something, carol, before this political stuff involving ted nugent, i had never heard of ted nugent in my life. i had to go research him. he's not terribly popular on south radio stations in miami. he gets all sorts of attention and gets all sorts of relevancy, because you and i and the three of us are talking about this today. not because he's earned it through his music. >> roland, when you talk about the republican party, trying to be a kinder, gentler party, to be all inclusive, and then a republican congressman invites ted nugent, it doesn't lend itself to that kind of change in messaging. >> carol, have you actually read any of the press releases from congressman steve stockman, he's out there, too. and so he embarrasses me as a texan. here's the deal. ted nugent actually will not be in attendance, it's going to be a hollogram of ted nugent that will show up, since he's supposed to be dead or in jail,

because obama got re-elected. but here's the other deal, carol. there's going to be a woman there. and i road on the plane with her, ana and i were on the plane with this woman, she's 102 years old, she will be at the state of the union speech on two occasions she was denied the right to vote in the election, she's going to be in the chamber, the advancement project, they've are bringing her there. those are the kind of stories we must be talking about, because guess what? voter suppression, disenfranchisement is a bigger issue, frankly, than the crazy comments that ted nugent makes. so i think -- >> do you have ted nugent on your ipod, roland, tell us right now. >> are you crazy? no. but i want to be clear, let's be clear, i got me randy travis and george strait. ted nugent doesn't make the cut. >> i do hear, amy, ted nugent will be open to questions from reporters after the state of the union. why injects yourself like that in the debate, when you won't

further it? amy? >> well, listen, i mean, because we actually pulled him into this with this big debate about gun control over the past several weeks or months now. he was invited here by a congressman, which he has every right to come, and so of course he's going to make himself available. he's very passionate. he's -- erin burnett show did a segment with him. it shows the divide in this country, not only on that issue -- >> why can't we have ---invite reasonable people in? i have randy barnett, an expert on guns. he's a smart, reasonable guy who could further the conversation. ted nugent cannot further the conversation. he's an idiot. >> we are focusing on ted nugent. >> the question isn't why is ted nugent speaking to the press? the legitimate question is why is the press asking ted nugent questions? >> great. >> i want to say, too.

i want to say, carol, that when you talk about branding the republican party, i don't think he's been invited here to brand the republican party. i think he's been invited here as a guest of the congressman, but that doesn't mean he represents the republican party. >> you don't get to choose your brand. >> we have to wrap this up. >> stockman wants attention, nugent wants attention. >> i have to wrap it up. thank you so much. we want to hear from you, too. our facebook friends, the question should ted nugent attend the state of the union. this from andrew, i'm sure obama loves this, and i would, too. bring out the crazys and let the gop shoot itself in the foot. this from karen, maybe the better question is, should the president be demagoguing the gun issue by loading the audience with victims of criminal gun use? i was just about to say that to ana when she jumped in. facebook.com/carol cnn or @carolcnn, if you want to tweet me and continue the conversation. that does it for talkback today,

thank you for being with us. i'm carol costello, cnn newsroom continues in a minute with ashleigh banfield. [ anouncer ] ihop is in time square to compare new griddle-melts to your usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. [ anouncer ] ihop's new griddle melts... made fresh and hot! hand crafted just for you. it's like a sexy sandwich. [ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. all right that's a fifth-floor probleok.. not in my house! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! no no no! not today! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico?

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